connotation

con·no·ta·tion | \ ˌkä-nə-ˈtā-shən

Definition of connotation

1a : something suggested by a word or thing : implication the connotations of comfort that surrounded that old chair

b : the suggesting of a meaning by a word apart from the thing it explicitly names or describes

2 : the signification of something … that abuse of logic which consists in moving counters about as if they were known entities with a fixed connotation.— William Ralph Inge

3 : an essential property or group of properties of a thing named by a term in logic — compare denotation

Other Words from connotation What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ? More Example Sentences Learn More about connotation

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What’s the difference between connotation and denotation ?

Connotation and denotation are easily confused, and the fact that neither word is particularly common in everyday use makes it difficult for many people to get a firm grip on the difference between them. While each of these two words has several possible meanings, they are notably distinct from each other in all senses. Denotation is concerned with explicit meaning, and connotation tends to be concerned with implicit meaning. The word home, for instance, has a denotation of “the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives,” but it may additionally have many connotations (such as “warmth,” “security,” or “childhood”) for some people.

Examples of connotation in a Sentence

Miuccia Prada, a connoisseur of vintage jewelry, has a collection of tiaras and subverts their formal connotations by wearing them for the day. — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, March 1997 Suddenly, Hsun-ching brightened. "So this is propaganda?" Alison did not know that, in Chinese, the word for propaganda literally means to spread information, and does not carry any negative connotations. — Mark Salzman, The Laughing Sutra, 1991 The word "evolution," with its connotation of unrolling, of progressive development, was not favored by Darwin; he preferred the bleak phrase "descent with modification" for his theory. — John Updike, New Yorker, 30 Dec. 1985 a word with negative connotations For many people, the word “fat” has negative connotations. The word “childlike” has connotations of innocence.

Recent Examples on the Web The subtext of the outrage was this: A pre-existing political connotation automatically subsumes a frivolous but harmless one. — Amanda Hess, New York Times, "United We Stan," 11 Sep. 2019 Rappers like Curry and the British throat-shredder Scarlxrd saw through nu-metal’s dated connotations to rediscover the power that lies at the center of heavy metal and rap’s rhythm. — Los Angeles Times, "With new fans aboard, Korn shows how to metal in middle age," 10 Sep. 2019 So, with a disclaimer warning you that there are indeed a few naughty words dotted about in the coming list, here are five players whose names bare an unfortunate connotation somewhere else. — SI.com, "Lost in Translation: 5 Player Names That Mean Something Totally Different in a Foreign Language," 8 Sep. 2019 Show creator Julian Fellowes insists the dog’s death was not intended to eliminate her name and its terrorist connotations from the series. — Washington Post, "Did you lose Downton Abbey in the British fog? Catch up here," 10 Sep. 2019 And yet, despite all its connotations with frivolity and danger, the word simply describes the philosophical belief that pleasure is a worthwhile pursuit. — Olivia Goldhill, Quartz, "We have hedonism all wrong, according to ancient Greek philosophy," 8 Sep. 2019 One is a degrading slur meant to dehumanize the target; the other is a metaphor with unflattering connotations. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "CNN’s Chris Cuomo said “Fredo” is like “the n-word” for Italians. It’s … not.," 13 Aug. 2019 Often melon can bring up negative connotations of bad, sad fruit salads and edible arrangements. — Los Angeles Times, "A melon dessert as intoxicating as the fruit," 10 Aug. 2019 But there also can be some negative connotations, where people think (Southerners) are not as intelligent. — Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al.com, "Miss Alabama 2019: Tiara Pennington is ready to rule," 14 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'connotation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.